Pacific Tropical Storm Lester now a hurricane: NHC

(Reuters) - Tropical Storm Lester has developed an eye and is now a hurricane as it moved west in the Pacific Ocean away from the mainland of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an advisory on Friday.

The system, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (120 km per hour), is about 550 miles (885 km) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, the Miami-based weather forecaster said.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect as the storm headed west at 9 miles per hour (15 km per hour), the NHC said.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Stephen Coates)